A men's thermal contraception tracking tool for Android:
Ring-based men's thermal contraception involves wearing a ring that holds the testicles close to body temperature. This sustained warmth temporarily and reversibly inhibits sperm production. Effectiveness depends on consistency: wearing the ring for enough hours each day. Since sperm production follows a cycle of approximately 3 months, the same period of regular wear is needed before reaching the contraceptive threshold. Ring Mate helps you stay on track with your daily wearing goal.
Start and stop your ring-wearing sessions with a single tap from your phone's lock screen. Ring Mate automatically accumulates the total time worn throughout the day.
Set your recommended daily wearing duration (e.g. 15h), and the app helps you meet your goal through customizable notifications to avoid any forgotten sessions.
Check your tracking calendar to assess your consistency. A complete history of your thermal contraception sessions is always available.
The app intelligently handles sessions that start one day and end the next, correctly splitting the time across each calendar day.
I developed RingMate because I practice thermal contraception myself and couldn't find any tool to effectively track my sessions. My sport (surfing) doesn't allow me to wear the ring continuously or on a fixed schedule. Counting hours in my head every day had become a real headache, so I built the tool I needed.
The app helps me enormously day to day — the quick control widget on the lock screen alone prevents a lot of missed sessions.
I also wanted something simple: not having to unlock my phone and open the app every time I put on or take off the ring. That's why you can choose to activate a quick control widget that lets you control the app without unlocking your phone. By making RingMate available, I simply hope it can help others in my situation.
The app just launched — there are probably things to refine, but I'm happy with the result. If you have feedback or suggestions, feel free to write to me. I'm motivated to improve the app to meet everyone's needs, not just my own!
Thermal contraception relies on the discipline of the person practicing it — but if not followed correctly, the consequences fall directly on another person's body. That's why this method is fundamentally built on reliability and trust.
The history and calendar in RingMate aren't just for personal tracking. They also provide a concrete way to reassure and show your partner that the method is being consistently followed day to day.
However, it's always important to keep in mind that this app does not in itself guarantee contraceptive effectiveness: a semen analysis remains the only way to confirm that the method is working properly.
The ring can be worn day or night, in as many sessions as you like, as long as you reach your daily goal. There is no strict rule about how to split your wearing time: some prefer one long overnight session, others spread it across several sessions throughout the day. Many different approaches have proven effective. Ring Mate adapts to your rhythm — that's precisely why flexible session tracking was chosen over a fixed schedule.
I considered a rolling 24-hour algorithm, but the conclusion is the same: if you don't meet your goal within a calendar day, you wouldn't have met it in a rolling window either. The result is identical, but a fixed window is much simpler to understand and follow. Midnight to midnight matches what you see in the calendar — it's concrete, readable, and makes daily planning easier. For sessions that cross midnight, the app handles an overnight session: it remembers when you started wearing the ring and correctly allocates the time to each calendar day.
Yes, Ring Mate is available for free on the Google Play Store. No subscription, no sign-up required. All your data stays on your phone.
Ring Mate is currently only available on Android via the Google Play Store. An iOS version is being considered depending on demand and the success of the Android version.
Men's thermal contraception is a serious method that requires regular monitoring. Before starting, it's important to consult a doctor to check there are no contraindications. A baseline semen analysis should also be performed for comparison. Best practice is to repeat it every 3 months to confirm the method's effectiveness and ensure the contraceptive threshold is maintained. Ring Mate is a ring-wearing tracking tool — it is not a substitute for medical advice. If in doubt, consult a healthcare professional.